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It's not every day the opportunity comes up to live in a castle for minimal rent, so when the commune of Meggen advertised for someone to take care of the majestic Meggenhorn castle on the banks of Lake Lucerne, the response was overwhelming.

By the closing date, 160 applications for the job of castle keeper had been received, exceeding all expectations, 20 Minuten reported.

The successful candidate will be expected to keep an eye on the castle night and day, but in return they will get to live in a three-room apartment for a low rent.

“We are really amazed to have received so many applications,” the paper quoted commune secretary Daniel Ottiger as saying.

One likely factor was that jobs like this don't come up very often, Ottiger speculated. But the castle's amazing location was also a huge draw.

“It's an absolute dream job, not least because of the view from the apartment,” said the current manager who is retiring after 25 years in the position.

There is plenty for the manager to do: just closing the castle's 60 shutters, for instance, takes half an hour.

Then there is the reservations calendar to manage as the castle is a popular venue for weddings and events.

The commune is currently wading through the applications, and is expected to decide on who gets the dream job at the end of May.